Upon Reason and Reasoning
He used to say that reason never deceives, but reasoning often does. When a person went to him with some complaint, or about some troublesome business, he would always listen most patiently and attentively to any reasons which were put before him, and, being full of prudence and good judgment, he could always discern between what had any bearing on the matter and what was foreign to it. When, therefore, people began obstinately to defend their opinions by reasons, which, plausible though they might appear, really carried no weight sufficient to secure a judgment, he would sometimes say very gently, “Yes, I know quite well that these are your reasons, but do you know that all reasons are not reasonable?” Someone on one occasion having retorted that he might as well assert that heat was not warm, he replied seriously, “Reason and reasoning are two different things: reasoning is only the path leading to reason.” Thus he would endeavour to bring the person who had strayed away from truth back to it. Truth and reason can never be separated, because they are one and the same thing.